On the wheel of the year listing pagan holidays, Litha is perhaps the most problematic. This hit home to me when I read a blog post recently, from … [Read more...] about Pagan holidays: Litha … On summer solstice celebrations, and the dangerous similarities between modern paganism and evangelical Christianity
Pagans, Heathens and Witchcraft
The old gods are still among us
IN THE STONE CIRCLES OF BRITAIN, to the holidays we celebrate without a second thought, the gods of antiquity still loom large in our psyche. For those whose path takes them from the straight and narrow, the world is a magical place.
From the olden days and up through all the years
From Arcadia to the stone fields of Inisheer
Some say the Gods are just a myth
But guess who I’ve been dancing with
The great god Pan is alive
What is Halloween? On visitations by the dead, a bit of necromancy, sixties trick or treating in in drag, and a seismic switch in films that changed Halloween forever
What is Halloween? A look at Halloween traditions of the past What is Halloween and why the focus on the dead? It's a boon to necromancers, the day … [Read more...] about What is Halloween? On visitations by the dead, a bit of necromancy, sixties trick or treating in in drag, and a seismic switch in films that changed Halloween forever
Pondering why landscapes become sacred and the mysteries of the Uffington White Horse, Uffington Castle and White Horse Hill
A month ago I stood atop a long barrow on White Horse Hill, with the grass covered chalk walls of Uffington Castle behind me, the galloping Uffington … [Read more...] about Pondering why landscapes become sacred and the mysteries of the Uffington White Horse, Uffington Castle and White Horse Hill
The hammer of the gods still ring out at Wayland’s Smithy, a long barrow chamber tomb nestled in a secluded grove in Oxfordshire
The chambered tombs and long barrows of Britain have long tickled the imagination, and perhaps none more so than Wayland’s Smithy. Perhaps it’s the … [Read more...] about The hammer of the gods still ring out at Wayland’s Smithy, a long barrow chamber tomb nestled in a secluded grove in Oxfordshire
On pagan sexuality, getting laid in the seventies, the great god Pan, the Marquis de Sade and the mating habits of goats
Top: Statue of Pan, The Eagles Nest, Northport, Long Island Your body is the church where Nature asks to be reverenced. Marquis de Sade I credit my … [Read more...] about On pagan sexuality, getting laid in the seventies, the great god Pan, the Marquis de Sade and the mating habits of goats
True witch legends from southern Illinois … giving Carmi’s Cato the witch the last laugh on her neighbors, and an insight into folklore and history
Top: Wooden structure in the woods where the legend points to that Cato might have lived. Dating from much later than Cato's time, this building was … [Read more...] about True witch legends from southern Illinois … giving Carmi’s Cato the witch the last laugh on her neighbors, and an insight into folklore and history
On paganism and the naming of gods … “Will the real god please stand up?”
Top: Jan Van Eyck, The Arnolfini Wedding Today I found myself listless, without direction. My sails were up, but there was no wind. The albatross was … [Read more...] about On paganism and the naming of gods … “Will the real god please stand up?”
Eclipse: Seeing the future during an eclipse in a southern Illinois graveyard where the burials stretch back almost 2,000 years
Top: The 2017 North American Eclipse viewed from Marshall Ferry Cemetery, Rising Sun, Illinois A person quite dear to me once said that Breathe, the … [Read more...] about Eclipse: Seeing the future during an eclipse in a southern Illinois graveyard where the burials stretch back almost 2,000 years
For the love of witches
MY FIRST MEMORY OF THE WORD WITCH happened when I was young, maybe five or six, though it's likely I’d heard of witches in fairy tales before … [Read more...] about For the love of witches
Is it Halloween or Samhain? What’s the real difference and when is it?
Top: Crescent moon over a male stone of West Kennet Avenue, Avebury I’ve written about this before I believe. Twice even. I get these questions every … [Read more...] about Is it Halloween or Samhain? What’s the real difference and when is it?
From the witch’s garden, Meadowsweet, a love potion as well as a balm for aching hearts
Top: Meadowsweet, right, growing along a path by the river Avon, Barton Country Farm, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. I have a soft spot for Meadowsweet. … [Read more...] about From the witch’s garden, Meadowsweet, a love potion as well as a balm for aching hearts
On Death
Top: West Kennet Long Barrow, part of the the Avebury World Heritage Site in Great Britain, with Silbury Hill in the distance. While most of the … [Read more...] about On Death
Answering Glastonbury’s call
I'M SITTING OUTSIDE AT THE MOCHA BERRY CAFE, talking to Vickie Steward, author of one of the most eclectic blogs out there, about one of the most … [Read more...] about Answering Glastonbury’s call
The Secret Life of Photographers and Trees
I live in southern Illinois. The middle of nowhere. There's not much in the way of dramatic subject matter to shoot around here. Once spot looks … [Read more...] about The Secret Life of Photographers and Trees
The difference between Halloween and Samhain is in the stars and on the calendar
I know I covered this once before, but sometimes you need more details. A commenter asked if Halloween/Samhain isn’t October 31, as I had … [Read more...] about The difference between Halloween and Samhain is in the stars and on the calendar
Prithee WGN’s Salem, forgive me, for I confess I was wrong
In which the author issues a rare apology When I heard that WGN was making a series based on the Salem witch hysteria, I was skeptical. Then I saw … [Read more...] about Prithee WGN’s Salem, forgive me, for I confess I was wrong
